Page 89 of Tears of Ink

He follows, driving hard as he grips my hair, and his hips buck with one final tearing deep thrust.

He collapses across me. My skin is damp. His hair is wet as he kisses along my shoulder, and I’m shuddering and breathing shocked little gasps of air.

I don’t want him to ever pull out. I want him to stay there forever, for our sweat to always be mingled, for his body to always be pressed against mine. His lips find mine, soft and gentle, and he leans onto his elbows. His face is frank and open, nothing but beautiful calm. He gives me a slow smile and a strange squeeze presses inside my chest. “Stay there forever,” I murmur.

“But you love my spooning.” His face lights with mischief and, fuck, it’s adorable. This guy is beyond dangerous to be around. Another squeeze tightens my chest and I’m not sure if I’m having a heart attack.

“I do, but I love you more there.” I squeeze around him tight.

His gaze holds steady and a moment of silence beats between us. “So, when do you run? When does the rule breaking commence?”

“When can you go again?”

He looks deep in thought, and I giggle. “Give me fifteen.”

“Rule breaking commences in fifteen.”

He laughs and rolls me over, somehow staying inside me until I’m straddled on top. His eyes skim my skin. Naked and exposed, I allow him to search my patterns, my tales. His thumb runs along the blank space above my heart. “What’s this waiting for?”

I shrug. “I’ve never known.”

With a laugh, I shift and allow him to slip out. It’s a tragedy, but Elijah is turning me into a rule breaker and I don’t want to wait. I pull off the condom, dropping it on the floor and making a mental note to pick it up as soon as I can. Then I shimmy down his body.

“What are you doing?”

“Fifteen minutes is too long.”

I hook him up with my fingers and slide my tongue along the length of him. He is soft under my touch, but an instant stirring makes me know I won’t have to wait that long. I slip him into my mouth and give two long sucks and, like magic, he firms and hardens. “It’s magic.” He laughs, and I shake my head focusing on the task in hand.

“So, no spooning then?”

I suck him into my mouth, taking him as deep as I can. All talk of spooning is forgotten about.

I’m exhausted and aching, lying across his chest. The rule is broken, but I know it’s going to take more than one night to see it through properly. Elijah is dozing, his arm thrown around me, his breathing regular and comforting.

What am I doing?

I don’t even care. This is dangerous and unknown, but I don’t care. I can’t even protect myself from it.

“What are you thinking about?” A light pressure touches my head and that squeeze tightens my chest again.

“Rules.”

“Mm.” He snuggles me tighter, his strong arm pulling me in.

“Eli.” Changing his name comes easy now. “Will you show me more of your paintings?”

“Mm.” His fingers trail along my naked spine. “At the weekend.”

I smile in the dark and settle down.

He surprises me when he moves and places a tender kiss along the back of my neck. “Don’t be mad when I’m not here in the morning.”

“I won’t.”

I know he has to go to work. I know he has responsibilities, things that I can’t even understand. I’ll miss him, though. And that fact alone scares the hell out of me.

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